MARCH UPDATE

POSTED ON Aug 8, 2022 15:14:38 GMT

GABRIEL BLACK likes this

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rotom

Nikita walked down the hall at a brisk pace, her Rotom floating behind her. Her video conference meeting with the director of Mossdeep City General Hospital had run long, and she had to book it to make her next appointment on time. And she could not afford to be tardy for this one.[break][break]

Thankfully, she arrived at her destination with minutes to spare. There, in the entrance lobby of Wells Prosthetics & Technology's Hoenn headquarters, she smoothed the front of her blouse and removed the tablet from her tote bag. In a few quick swipes, she pulled up the commission file for the client she was about to meet.[break][break]

GABRIEL BLACK. A member of the council and a wealthy businessman besides. He needed a new arm — two, in fact — and would arrive in short order for his first fitting. Nikita had been providing him regular updates during the design phase. Her teams had kept his feedback in mind while making adjustments, marrying his ideas with the prosthetic's practical requirements. She hoped Gabriel would like the initial draft.[break][break]

That was the goal of the visit that day, at any rate. Nikita expected the appointment to be routine: he would tour the lab, meet the team, and get fitted with a cheap copy made of acrylic resin. The lead tech assigned to build the titanium arm would take measurements, explain how the arm will operate, and answer any of Gabriel's questions. The councilman should be in and out of the building in an hour or two.[break][break]

The front doors opened, and Nikita immediately recognized the imposing figure of the man who walked through. She stepped forward to greet him.[break][break]

"Good afternoon, Mr. Black. Welcome to Wells Prosthetics and Technology."

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NOTES

+ Mission: Employment: Act II

BY GUNSMILE

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gabe

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forty-five

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TAG WITH @gabe

POSTED ON Aug 13, 2022 3:38:47 GMT

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[attr="class","gabe"]

gabriel doesn't wait long, but as he does, he makes a mental note of his surroundings.

[break][break]
"download the building's plans from city hall," he says quietly into his phone. the rotom stationed inside vibrates against his chest, acknowledging confirmation.
[break][break]
despite the cordial way @nikita had handled things thus far, a councilman was a target for all sorts of individuals. she wouldn't be the first one to flash a charming smile, before attempting to put a blade in-between his ribs.
[break][break]
when she finally does arrive, he turns to face her, expression as serious as it had been in his office.
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"an impressive place you have here, ms. wells." polite, cordial, just enough before he could jump straight into it. "lead the way."

[attr="class","notes"]@nikita[break]

[attr="class","wizzcredit"]☉

[newclass=".gabe"] --accent:#b75d5d; [/newclass]

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POSTED ON Aug 13, 2022 16:27:54 GMT

GABRIEL BLACK likes this

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rotom

"Thank you," Nikita replied with sincerity before gesturing toward the elevator. "If you could follow me, please. I'll give you a quick tour of the lab first before you meet the team assigned to your commission, then they will conduct your fitting."[break][break]

Admittedly, the tour was the most boring part of those visits, but it was excellent PR. Customers felt more comfortable with the work if they saw it took place in brightly lit, well maintained, and modern laboratories — though Nikita felt 'workshops' was the more accurate term. The rooms were not laboratories in truth; WPT merely used the word for the sense of professionalism it provided. But they were all that the marketing department promised: brightly lit, well maintained, modern. Large digital whiteboards showed meeting notes, timelines, and design drafts. Computers sat in rows within an open space office, allowing engineers to collaborate with ease.[break][break]

Meeting the team was less boring, if only because the three employees assigned to Gabriel's arm were excitable nerds eager to make a good impression on a councilman. After making introductions, the lead engineer — a skinny, middle-aged man called Mason — produced a box with a prototype of the prosthetic, cast in resin.[break][break]

"Unfortunately, this version does not come apart," he said in apology to Gabriel. "It is a solid block without any working parts yet, so that we don't waste time and material before this first fitting. For subsequent fittings, though, you will be able to see the real thing in titanium. Now, please, if you could have a seat, Mr. Black."[break][break]

Mason indicated a comfortable chair. Nikita sat nearby, tablet in her hands, watching Gabriel's reactions and demeanor. Her Rotom hovered by her head.

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NOTES

+ Mission: Employment: Act II

BY GUNSMILE

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gabe

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slateport city

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TAG WITH @gabe

POSTED ON Aug 19, 2022 1:06:34 GMT

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[attr="class","gabe"]

he follows silently, taking the tour with a level of interest that's just visible on his face. this wasn't his first, nor would it be his last, after all. there's not even a look of reprieve as they finally get to the reason he was here — he was a professional.

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"i understand," gabriel says plainly, taking a seat at mason's insistence. his eyes go from the resin casted arm, to mason, then finally to the folded sleeve where his stump ended.
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"do you need me to take off my shirt, or roll up my sleeve?"

[attr="class","notes"]@nikita[break]

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POSTED ON Aug 19, 2022 10:29:31 GMT

GABRIEL BLACK likes this

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"Oh, no need to take off your shirt, sir! Just roll up your sleeve past the residual limb."[break][break]

Once Gabriel complied, Mason began his work. Bringing out a handheld machine, he began scanning the stump of the councilman's arm from various angles. Occasionally, he provided instruction to Gabriel to move his residual limb this way and that way to obtain a full 360° image.[break][break]

"Digital imaging is the future of prosthesis fitting," Mason explained. "This machine scans the exterior of your arm so that we can create the optimal, ergonomic socket. Now, this next machine, on the other hand, will scan your internal soft tissues. It uses ultrasound to capture the images."[break][break]

The engineer switched to a different machine with a probe at the end of a long cable. He pressed this probe against Gabriel's stump and moved it methodically across the other man's skin.[break][break]

At this point, Nikita spoke up, addressing Gabriel. "Councilman, have you made any progress in obtaining the materials you wish us to use for your other arm? We've been curious about the exact kind of material we'll be working with in the future."

[break]

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[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Employment: Act II

BY GUNSMILE

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gabe

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TAG WITH @gabe

POSTED ON Aug 22, 2022 3:14:05 GMT

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he couldn't quite speak to it with confidence, but the man — mason's — explanation felt rehearsed. as if he'd been instructed to take this step-by-step, whether it was to comfort the councilman, or impress him. hm.
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the question that rises is low, and gravely. something in the tone suggests that it's more than what it appears at the surface.
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"who will these scans be shared with?"
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gabriel barely moves his head, as he addresses the question directed at him. his hand moves to his jacket pocket, gathering into his enclosed hand.
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"you remember what i said in my office, ms. wells? the second i show you what's in my hand, you, your company, and every man and woman in this room, will be held to complete secrecy. there will be no turning back from there, at least, not without consequences."
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he takes a glance back at the work needed to complete the first prosthetic, then back to her.
[break][break]
"if that is too troublesome, then we can end this business deal with the delivery of the first prototype."

[attr="class","notes"]@nikita[break]

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POSTED ON Aug 22, 2022 18:13:08 GMT

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rotom

Mason looked taken aback by the question. "Why, no one, sir. We use them to make a mold of the socket for your prosthetic right here in this lab, then we send the mold to the production team so they can recreate it out of the proper materials," he explained. "The scans are kept on your file, but if you would prefer they be deleted once the most is made, we can do that."[break][break]

Once the scan was complete, Mason held the resin draft of Gabriel's arm up to what remained of his real one. He took several measurements, comparing it to the councilman's remaining arm, and jotted these down.[break][break]

Nikita, meanwhile, steeled herself against the threat voiced at her and also her parents' company. She had faced worse dangers and known worse nightmares than a single man, even if that man wielded incredible power beyond that which she could imagine herself achieving.[break][break]

She looked GABRIEL BLACK directly in the eye, aware that the engineers in the room were watching with nervous apprehension.[break][break]

"I remember, Mr. Black, and I understand the weight of your trust. Rest assured. We are extremely good at keeping secrets at Wells."

[break]

[attr="class","nikitapostooc"]

[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Employment: Act II

BY GUNSMILE

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played by

greyson

gabe

he / him

forty-five

december fourth

slateport city

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i used to dream in the dark of palisades park.

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DOLLARS

part of

TAG WITH @gabe

POSTED ON Aug 29, 2022 1:11:39 GMT

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[attr="class","gabe"]

while the threat was far from thinly veiled, it was something that he didn't want to actually follow through on. gabriel wasn't the type to lord his position over anyone, least of all someone attempting to help him — but it was often negligence that let the wolf into the sheep pen.
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and, if there was anything that could be said about him, it was that he far from negligent.
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"send them to me, and then delete them — we can complete any new scans in future endeavors. i will ensure to have a copy of them, should you, or team, mason, require them."
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S.A.M will house the majority of it, gabriel tells himself, before turning a critical eye onto his arm.
[break][break]

"how will i be able to use the arm? will it grafted to my nerves, or simply a prosthetic i will remove at all?"

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POSTED ON Aug 29, 2022 16:41:18 GMT

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rotom

Mason's eyes met Nikita's as Gabriel gave his command regarding the scans. She nodded her permission, and he turned to the councilman with an agreeable expression. "Of course, we can absolutely do that, sir," he said, nodding.[break][break]

With that, the first fitting was over. Mason indicated that Gabriel could cover up his residual limb again.[break][break]

As the team of engineers reviewed the notes Mason took, Nikita answered her patient's question. "We make all kinds. Our main line of prosthetics are a mix of both, grafted and removable," she explained. She gestured to her own false arm as she spoke. "The socket is grafted on during a procedure that connects artificial nerves with your existing ones. It is the most advanced, state-of-the art prosthetics technology, allowing you to sense texture and temperature, and to apply pressure across the whole spectrum with nuanced dexterity."[break][break]

She considered the councilman's apparent paranoia. He may find issue with the notion of artificial nerves connecting to his own, as it was more invasive than simply applying electrodes to his stump.[break][break]

"If you would prefer, however, we can attach electrodes to your muscles and nerves instead. It's older technology, so you won't receive the same feedback as you would with the artificial nerves, but it's dependable. You will still be able to control your arm with your mind," she reassured him.[break][break]

Then Nikita did something she normally would not do in front of another person: she removed her left arm. With some effort, it detached from the socket grafted to the stump of her upper arm. Immediately, she felt the loss of it, a sensation to which she'd grown numb.[break][break]

"As you can see, however, the rest of the arm can be removed. This is for a number of reasons: safety, maintenance, upgrades, and so on. It's designed so that it won't fall off on its own, but the individual can remove and reattach the arm without assistance."[break][break]

She pushed the arm back into the socket and secured it. The reattachment jolted her nerves, and she instinctively flexed and curled the fingers of the prosthetic to recalibrate.[break][break]

"However, we can make fully removable limbs if that is a client's wish. Typically, children use them because they eventually outgrow their old prosthetics, but it is not unheard of for adults to prefer them, too. Either way, you'll learn how to use your arm and take care of it in physical therapy," Nikita concluded, hoping that answered all of Gabriel's current questions.

[break]

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[break]

NOTES

+ Mission: Employment: Act II

BY GUNSMILE

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TAG WITH @gabe

POSTED ON Sept 6, 2022 3:54:18 GMT

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[attr="class","gabe"]

gabriel takes stock of his options, listening to her intently as she did so. while the issue of her arm was unknown to him — his reaction betrays little. control over oneself was all he had at this moment, and it needed to be perfect.

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"no need to attach them to the nerves. this is, after all, temporary." a measure of removal gave him more control, too. to appear strong, or weak as he chose.[break][break]
releasing his grip on the materials, he rights his clothing before giving the man an appreciative nod. satisfied, he turns to @nikita, expression hardened. no more words were needed at this point, he was sure. his hand doesn't return to the materials in question, however.
[break][break]
"let's discuss more of the alternative materials the next time we meet. your facility is impressive, and it's given me much to think about it. if there is nothing else, i will be in touch, ms. wells."

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POSTED ON Sept 6, 2022 12:09:09 GMT

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rotom

Nikita nodded once more. In the background of their conversation, the engineers noted the councilman's preference and added it to his file.[break][break]

"Very well," she replied, standing smoothly to escort him back to the front lobby. "Please contact me directly if you have any questions, Mr. Black, and I'll be happy to answer them. Someone from the team will reach out to you soon to schedule your next fitting."[break][break]

She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. "If you'll follow me."

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